Finished off this sample with a friend who dearly adores chocolate teas. Thank you, cteresa, for this gorgeous sample! This time, as I was serving it in a teapot, the leaves brewed for maybe half a minute longer between the first cup and when I removed the leaves; in that second cup I could taste the bitterness that comes from overbrewing, and the chocolate was less noticeable (the caramel remained, however).

Which brings me to my next point. I’m going to Paris for a daytrip on Monday to Tuesday and I fully intend to visit Mariage Freres, and perhaps THE O DOR and Dammann Freres and others! Other than the MF beneath the Louvre (I know how to get to that one easily enough!) would anybody know of others close by to Montmartre or fairly central that are open later into the evening? I think I’ll be checking Kusumi Teas, too, as one is open in Montmartre since the last time I visited Paris :D